By Scott Rappaport.
Michael Berenbaum (project director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) and Angel Nieves (consultant for the “Power of Place” exhibit at the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture) will examine the role of museums in today’s world of “alternative” facts, as they explore the potential for digital tools to reimagine how museums speak to their audiences.
The new National Museum of African American History & Culture and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum both translate difficult, often traumatic, histories into museum exhibitions. They invite audiences of all ages and backgrounds to contend with diverse narratives of struggle, oppression, violence, and silence.
Through the use of digital content, these museums have recently begun to connect with audiences far beyond Washington, and to create new opportunities for understanding, commemoration, and reflection.